Rob Hay (1977) captures the easily dismissible, everyday actions of people. He ultimately liberates the beauty of those movements through paintings that demonstrate the rhythm of human form. With his subdued background, his use of grounded but versatile hues showcases the extreme detail in every subject. From janitors pushing hand trucks to students listening to music on their way to class, it is easy for the viewer to relate to their poses and become aware of the realm of compositions we are surrounded by in our lives.
Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Rob was encouraged to pursue art and his mother, an art teacher, surrounded him with art books and gave him art supplies for Christmas. Rob later attended Morehead State University with a scholarship where he earned a BA as Magna Cum Laude in 1999 and MA two years later. In 2007 he achieved an MFA in visual arts from Marywood University. After choosing oil paint as his primary medium, Rob began a series of works called Urban Views, in graduate school that was inspired from Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and birthed his now distinct technique.
At Morehead State University, Rob participated in his first group show in 1996 and first solo show in 1998. He recieved various awards for his achievements in art and later tied for second and third place in the Masters of the Print- International Juried Print Show and Exhibition. His most recent show, Small Works, at the Electric Theater Company in Scranton, PA encompassed small studies of color and compositions for Urban Views.
In addition to his painting, Rob began to pursue one of his lifelong goals: teaching. In 2001, he joined the staff at Marywood University as a part-time teacher and continues to teach drawing, painting, and figurative sculpture at present. Today Rob Hay's works continue to evolve with increasingly challenging lines in arrangements and form. The strangers he uses for subjects supply candid and ordinary movements that are as diverse as the walks of life represented in the compositions themselves. As Rob always strives to make each new piece better than the last, Taglialatella Galleries endevors to aid in his continued advancements.